What if I want to contact my family/friends while I’m abroad?
The internet makes it fairly simple to get in contact with anyone you want but sometimes there may be obstacles.
(Unfortunately, most of my solutions are for Korea).
With my experience in Korea, a lot of the people I met felt uncomfortable with the fact that they wouldn’t have a working phone. If you’re studying abroad in Korea, this problem can easily be solved by either 1. renting a phone in Korea upon arrival (this can usually be done at the airport) 2. asking if your current carrier has/ setting up an international plan with your American based carrier (t-mobile offers this service for free with their basic plans) 3. renting a wifi egg this would allow you to make calls over wifi anywhere you are (download kakao if you’re going to Korea) or 4. buying a rechargeable sim card and inserting it into your American phone (these can also be purchase in convenience stores at the airport). Though you can find wifi almost anywhere in Seoul, you’ll need to pay to access the networks.
If you’re okay without a phone, you’ll almost always have internet on your host campus. Skype and facebook are always available for chatting with your friends and family.
I saw that you go to a uc! I want to go on uceap next year but idk if I'll get in... Did you have trouble getting accepted?
Hi!So unless you don’t meet the gpa, grade level or language (if applicable) requirements for the program you’re applying to, you will most definitely get in. The only rare case where you might NOT be accepted (even if you meet all the above requirements) is if the program you are applying to is really popular and they get a lot of applicants. This probably the only case where they reject students. But UCs really encourage study abroad so even if you feel like your statement of purpose isn’t your best work, it won’t affect your chances much. Your chances of getting into UCEAP are really high.Good luck!
You finally muster up the courage to go abroad and you’ve been accepted or you’re in your host country, but something happens and you have to withdraw...
This is a terrible feeling. If you’ve just found out that you have to cancel your plans to go abroad and you have to pull your acceptance or travel back to your home country, don’t beat yourself up about it. Your situation may have been unavoidable...
In cases where this happens, the first is usually the easiest to handle because you haven’t left the country. The process is simpler (usually sending a few emails to staff explaining the situation). And unless you’ve missed the deadline to withdraw, there will be no penalty fee. If you find yourself faced with a penalty fee, depending on the reason you have to withdraw, you can usually plead your case and have the fee dropped (this is usually in the case of family death, serious illness, financial difficulty etc.).
In the second scenario where you’re already in your host country, things get trickier. Because you’ve already arrived, not only do you have more people within your program you have to explain the situation to to help you get things sorted out, you may also get charged a fee for dropping out (my program’s penalty fee was $500!!). This fee as well can be cancelled is your reason for withdrawing is one of the above.
If you’re in this situation, don’t forget to inform:
Your housing, your course professors, your study abroad program administrator (both in host and home university), and your financial advisor.
You’ll need to change your airline return ticket as well, and airlines usually charge a fee for doing this. If the reason you are changing your return ticket date is family death (or imminent death) or serious illness, you may be able to talk with the airline to get that fee reversed (with proper proof).
I withdrew the first time I went abroad (I only had two weeks of the program left!!) because my grandma ended up in hospice care. It hit me hard and I didn’t want to leave Korea (1. because it took so long for me to finally build up the courage to get there and 2. because I didn’t want to face the grim reality back home). But I left the program and returned to the U.S.... I felt sad but I don’t regret it.... I went back the next year.
Honestly, this situation is stressful, even more so if your situation is serious but regardless don’t let it completely put you off from trying to study abroad during another term after you get things settled.
Hi! I don’t know if I would say it was hard but it wasn’t easy either. The scholarship process is kind of long and requires you to get a lot of information together, like bank proof, passport proof (which if you don’t have one could make the process much more tedious), transcripts and then there’s the project proposal and personal statement.These last two things were very difficult for me and I went to a counselor to have them help me.So I guess no, it wasn’t easy to get the scholarship. I was actually selected off a wait list. You should still try anyway, I didn’t think I had a chance but I got it 😳
Hi! I have a question for you about your experience abroad. What classes did you take? Were they hard? What was the workload? Thank you!
Hi, the first time I went I took an ethnographic course on Seoul and a Korean language course that was really intensive. The other course was manageable and the professors during the summer tend to focus more on group work so if that’s not to your thing it may be hard to find a class without group work.The language course was really intensive and it was 3 hours per day Monday to Thursday so that was really draining.My second time I took an intro to philosophy and intro to Korean studies course. Both were neither easy or too difficult. The majority of the workload came from the amount of readings they assigned. They were long readings, at least 3 a week per class that needed to be read before end of week quizzes so it was hard to keep up because I liked to explore Seoul during my free time not read … 😭
(My fall quarter is ending so I’ve been away for a while as I prepare for finals TT so I wasn’t able to update last week.)
This is a question I can only answer based on how I packed for a summer in Korea. The list I provide may be relevant and useful for countries that have a similar summer climate as Korea. This list is broad as it was created between me and multiple people as we helped each other not forget our essentials. So, not everything on the list is necessary for everyone. You may find that something you need on the list is not there as well so you can use this as a base and personalize it for your trip.
Packing can be very stressful. Make sure you thoroughly check your airlines packing guidelines for things you can and can’t pack on your checked-in and carry-on bags. I found my airline’s website to be contradictory in their rules so I called the airline directly and they told me something completely different from what was on their site. So always double check.
If you have any medication that is prescription check (!) to see if it’s allowed in the country. I may make a post about this later, but some prescription medication may not be allowed in certain countries and you may need to get special permission or find an alternative or plan around this fact.
I realize there’s something missing on the list as well. If you’re studying abroad in university, you’re an adult and may choose to be sexually active while abroad. Don’t forget birth control/condoms. Stay safe and don’t play around carelessly just because you’re in another country.
Again, this was a list for 6 weeks and I may have remembered things as I was packing that aren’t on this list.
I realized it after but a lot of the stuff that I brought with me I could have just bought on arrival and saved myself a lot of space on the way there. Stuff like toiletries you can definitely just bring in travel sizes and save yourself the space by buying locally. A lot of people shop for clothes while traveling as well so keep this in mind and try to pack light if you plan on buying clothes in your host country.
At the end of the trip I threw a few things away to make space for new things. But this was definitely a problem because i didn’t have as much space as I had hoped. Think about how much you plan on buying while away and choose bag sizes and what to bring according to this. It’s really sad when you realize all your souvenirs don’t fit :(
If you don’t know where to study, it’s best to look into various programs. But there are tons of programs and each of them have varying countries and universities, right? It’s hard. Try asking yourself these questions:
1. How long do I want to study abroad?
2. Do I want to go somewhere where the local language is not English / a language I might not know?
a. What language do I want to learn/experience?
b. Do I want to experience a culture completely different from mine?
3. What’s my budget?
This creates a process of elimination. You may have found a variety of study abroad programs but maybe one of them doesn’t offer any programs during the term that you want, or maybe they do, but they’re too expensive. Keep a list or a chart of the programs and costs.
For example, let’s say you want to go to a Spanish speaking country for just the summer, you now have much less countries to choose from. Now look at the programs you’re considering. If they don’t offer any summer programs in a Spanish speaking country, eliminate them from your list. Once you’ve done that check the prices. Eliminate the ones that go over budget. But you may still be left with a handful of programs to choose from.
What to do? Look at the list below and maybe you can eliminate some more to find your ideal country, university and program.
If you’re studying abroad for reasons related to your major/academics, you’ll want to see which program offers either:
1. The most courses for your major
2. Your needed general education courses
3. Courses that your advisor can guarantee will transfer over for your major/GE requirement
4. A good department for your specific major
5. Courses taught in English (or your own language) if you don’t know the local language
6. Intensive language courses (if this is what you’re going for)
If you’re studying abroad to experience college life in another country, maybe the above doesn’t matter to you, but you’ll still be taking classes! So look into which programs offer:
1. Classes that sound interesting
2. Classes taught by local university professors (this will give you a different perspective on the topic your learning)
3. Classes taught by professor you want to learn from (often host universities invite professors from universities from different countries!)
4. On campus housing (a great way to meet local university students)
5. A variety of student/campus activities you can take part in
6. Courses taken along with local students
Maybe now you’ve narrowed it down to 2 or 3 programs that all sound great but you don’t know which to choose.
Talk it over with friends and family. They may be able to provide new perspectives that you may not have thought about regarding the country, university, program, etc. Look for things students who attended the programs have to say about them. Talking to an academic or study abroad counselor can help narrow things down as well.
It’s always a good idea to get some exposure of the language of the country you’ll be studying in, even if it’s just common phrases. I want to provide you with a start-up list for learning a different language, but since I’ve only ever looked into studying Korean on my own (and not in a class setting) my list may be lacking.
*Any suggestion with one (*) next to it, I highly recommend. I found them extremely helpful and useful.
** Two asterisks mean I recommend it but the service may not be completely free. Of course, there are many other ways of obtaining these services.
- Unless there is a link, these are all apps that are easily accessible in the app store.
General language learning
1. Duolingo *
2. Busuu
3. Rosetta Stone **
4. Learn 50 Languages
5. Memrise: Learn Languages Free
6. Babbel
7. Bravolol (available in various languages) *
Mandarin
1. Learn Chinese Mandarin Madness
2. Bravolol’s Learn Mandarin (Bravolol has other languages as well) *
3. Learn Chinese - ChineseSkill
Arabic
1. ArabicPod101
2. LearnArabicwithMaha
Japanese
1. Genki [the link provided is to a blog where someone provides free learning resources for both Japanese and Mandarin]
Korean
1. Rieul Korean
2. Eggbun *
3. Learn Korean Like a Native
4. TOPIK Test Prep (gives you practice reading)
5. KORLINK (Talk to me in Korean’s podcast lessons) (100% free) *
6. Talk to Me in Korean (100% free) *
7. Korean Conversation Courses
8. Daum Dictionary *
9. L-lingo Learn Korean
10. Korean Basic Grammar 90
11. Korean Listening Practice
12. Learn Korean (by D&J)
13. Bravolol’s Learn Korean *
14. PopPopping Korean *
15. How to Study Korean *
16. Koreanclass101
17. Learn Korean - Phrasebook
It’s obvious that I spent more time studying Korean. I only did a quarter of Japanese, Mandarin and Arabic in a class setting so my knowledge of outside sources is limited.
Always look for youtube channels! Someone has probably started a comprehensive series to teach the language.
Check to see if someone has started a website like Talk to Me in Korean (this one was honestly my favorite resource).
Once you’re able to read, read as much as you can. Start with kid’s books. Even if you can’t understand 90% of what you’re reading, developing your reading skill will help you learn vocab a bit quicker later.
Watch shows in the language you’re learning! Start with subtitles, then take them off. Get used to hear the language and the various accents you may encounter. Again, start with kid’s shows, these are often much simpler to understand.
Listen to music or podcasts in the language you’re learning. Again, it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand everything. It’s to familiarize yourself with the language.
Remember! Quick progress is almost impossible. Learning a language requires dedication and hard work. You will have the language skills of a three year old for a long time as you continue to learn and develop your skills. But don’t be afraid to use what you know!
When you’re studying think like a child, you’re learning something from ground zero all over again.
As I said before, don’t let the language barrier be what keeps you from studying abroad!
Language is always hard and it really depends on where you’re planning on studying. Sometimes you only need a basic grasp of the local language but other times, if you don’t know it at at least an advanced beginner’s level, you’ll find getting around to be very difficult.
I can’t speak on the topic of other countries, but I will try to give my advice based on my experiences in Seoul.
If you’re planning on studying abroad in Seoul, don’t beat yourself up too much for not knowing Korean past a low level beginner. The same applies if you’re planning to study in another metropolitan area of Korea. Chances are that 1. You’ll get the opportunity to take immersive Korean language courses at your host university (take them! Don’t miss out on them.), and 2. Because you’ll be in a “college city,” chances are higher that a good number of locals have some range of understanding of English (in Sinchon, where I was, you could also find Chinese speakers in most shops). This is because foreign transfer students are common, local students studying abroad is common, and these areas are often high traffic tourist spots.
What this means is that even if you have a small grasp of the language, if you’re struggling to get your thoughts across there’s always a chance they may understand you if you try to communicate with some English (even with some hand gestures, as I always relied on when I lost my words).
This doesn’t mean, however, that you should expect everyone to understand the language you’re speaking. You have to remember that you are the one visiting and not everyone is there to accommodate to you. Don’t get frustrated that they can’t understand you! They might be equally frustrated with the language barrier.
So please make an effort to learn the language, even if it’s just the basics. Knowing a few of the common phrases should be critical (like: hello, thank you, please, I’m sorry, where is…, what is…, etc.). Studying the local language when you’re completely surrounded by it is the best. You start to see rapid progress (I watched my roommate, who had zero Korean language skills, quickly improve).
But with all that said, not knowing the language shouldn’t be what sets you back from studying abroad. If for any reason you can’t find the time to learn the language, maybe you’ll find a friend who knows a bit of it. But learn as you travel, be open to people teaching you or correcting you and don’t be afraid to use what you know even if you think you sound like a 3 year old. It’s all the process of learning.
Will people judge your low level language skills? Most likely, no. Most people are glad to see you putting an effort to speak their language rather than you relying they speak yours. Don’t, don’t, don’t, let the language barrier keep you back. But also, make some effort to learn.
Travel. Talk. Learn.
In my next post I’ll provide some language resources that may be helpful for learning Korean and some other languages.
The one friend I knew I would have on the trip withdrew before the program started and I was left alone…
I was ready to stay in my room throughout my entire study abroad stay because the thought of being out in an unfamiliar city alone terrified me.
But, surprisingly, I found the campus environment to be fairly open and friendly, making it easier than expected to make friends.
I wouldn’t be surprised if at least 90% of the people on your program are in the same position as you, in fact, you should expect it. They’ve probably never been to the country either, the entire environment is new to them. Some may not know the local language. Others may know a little bit but are just as overwhelmed as you.
The other 10%, well, they’ve probably been there before, have family there, or are fairly familiar with the language and customs. Sometimes you can befriend or be befriended by these few people, making getting around the country a bit easier. I was lucky enough to find someone like this the first time I went to Korea and I am forever grateful to them!
But because so many people are feeling the same things as you, they become much more open to meeting others because they want someone to travel around with too.
Think of it like your first year in college where the freshman felt lost and vulnerable and just moved around in groups of the first people they met around in their dorm or classes. This is what it will be like. Making friends is surprisingly quick during the first week or two of your program as everyone is getting a feel of their new city and campus.
After that, it gets a bit tricky because people begin to close their groups, making it harder to join already established circles of friends. But you can usually meet people through people you’ve already formed a connection with. I met a few of my friends through my roommate who I stuck too when traveling. I, unfortunately, lost out on many opportunities to meet more people because I couldn’t bring myself to hang out with the few friends I had when they gathered in groups of more than 5 people. Large social gatherings are too overwhelming for me…
So, you will probably find a friend or two around your dorm if you’re staying in on-campus housing, this includes your roommate. Always try to form a connection with your roommate. Even if it’s just small talk at first, they may invite you to hang out with them and you’ll become closer. I was lucky enough to befriend both my roommates during both my UCEAP trips. You’ll also meet people in your classes or through the facebook group (if you have one, as I mentioned in the previous post).
Even if you only make one friend, don’t fret. One person is enough to make you feel secure when travelling. You won’t be navigating a new city alone and that is enough to create a sense of security for a lot of people.
** This is going to be separated into sections across a few posts
Traveling to and from XX country
A lot of people travel alone. But it’s stressful and scary. If this is what’s holding you back from studying abroad, I completely understand. All of the fears I had about studying abroad had to do with social and public situations. I thought I would get lost a thousand times and never find my way home.
If you’re stressing about traveling alone for your study abroad trip I hope some of these tips can help you.
A lot of the times the program you choose may set up a group page for the students who will be traveling to the same country and during the same term as you. Of course, sometimes they don’t. Often, other students take the initiative and set up these pages themselves. And… sometimes they don’t...
If you see that there’s no group page set up for your country program, you can always start one yourself!
The easiest way is through facebook. You can invite the others yourself by getting their emails from group emails sent by your program (if their emails are public) or by sending the group’s link to your program’s coordinator and asking them to send it out to everyone.
I’m sure most program administrators/ coordinators wouldn’t mind helping a program’s students come together.
This online group space will create an opportunity for you to ask others about their travel plans. If things work out, more than one person will have plans similar as you. From there you can choose to coordinate flights with others and maybe make a friend for your stay abroad in the process.
If you don’t want to meet up with someone you meet online, there are often chances to meet people from your own campus that are going on the same program as you. If you are participating in your campus’ study abroad program, there are often country specific orientations that allow for chances for students to meet each other. This is a great chance to ask others their flight plans.
There will always be someone who’ll be more than happy to fly with you because they’re in the same situation!
My study abroad program (for summer at Yonsei University) had a facebook group. Though I’m usually not very active in social groups in real life, the fact that it was online made it a little bit easier to interact with the others. It was with the facebook group that I was able to find 3 people to fly with. I coordinated flights with one, found another midway before departure who purchased the same ticket and, the day before departure, was contacted by someone else who found out we had the same flight!
Someone on the facebook group had actually started a spread sheet so people could input their flight information (airline, airport of departure/arrival, times, etc).
I actually ended up hanging out with these 3 people often while I was in Korea. So these flight buddies may turn out to become actual friends.
Trust me, a lot of people will jump at the chance at joining you on a flight because they don’t want to fly alone either. If you’re nervous about being awkward with them (I was), from my experience, everyone was too tired from the flight and anxious about finding their way around the airport and city to go past small talk.
So try to join one of these online groups or start one yourself and remember to be active at least closer to departure and when you plan to purchase tickets!.
School just started and it’s my last quarter! So things are getting a little hectic as I try to figure out the best way to approach taking two beginner’s language classes at the same time! (I’m taking Japanese and Arabic, in case anyone is interested in knowing).
Because of this I wasn’t able to properly prepare an update for the blog… Sorry about that. So here’s some pictures of the 3 main palaces in Korea that I visited! They’re definitely worth at least one visit if you’re ever there.
Gyeongbokgung
The day I visited Gyeongbok it was raining heavily and this resulted in muted colors, which are honestly one of my favorite things about Korean palaces, but everything still looked amazing.
Also, I’m a terrible photographer…
Changdeokgung
This one was my favorite. If you visit, make sure you check out it’s “Secret Garden.” It was beautiful. You have to join a guided tour (which is rather long) but I think it’s worth a visit.
Deoksugung
This was the first palace I visited during my first week in Korea and, if I’m not mistaken, it’s the smallest of the 3. I liked this one because at certain hours of the day, they put on a “changing of the guards” show at the front of the palace. (If you want to catch the actors who perform, they’re usually resting and getting ready for the next performance near the side of the palace, closest to the museum of modern art).
I’m honestly extremely grateful to study abroad and the Gilman scholarship for letting me experience historical and cultural things like this because without them I would have never had the means to experience them.
This is a question I’m sure a few of you have asked yourself when deciding you want to study abroad. Not everyone can afford an academic term abroad, while others have the privilege of receiving federal aid. Financial reasons may also be what has been holding you back from finally studying abroad. So what do you do if you can’t afford to study abroad but want to go?
The first thing you could do is talk with your university’s financial aid and scholarship office. Often times they have a counselor specifically for study abroad programs that can help you come up with a plan or adjust your current financial aid package for you.
*On the topic of financial aid, apply for it!
Your federal aid goes with you when you study abroad and may cover all or part of your program’s expenses. You don’t lose out on anything by applying and seeing if you’re eligible for it.
*If your federal aid isn’t enough to cover all your expenses or if you just don’t qualify, crowd funding is something a lot of study abroad advisors suggest. Receive financial help from your relatives, friends and community using sites like gofundme.com.
*Still not enough money? It’s time to look into scholarships!
The one I want to highly recommend is the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. (I’ve linked the scholarship application process)
This is the scholarship that allowed me to actually be able to afford my study abroad program. The amount the award is, is dependent on how long/when you decide to go abroad. But no worries, the amount is plenty generous. Please consider doing it, there is no cost for applying, so again, there’s nothing to lose by trying!
**It may be difficult to find scholarships sometimes so below I’ll link a few I looked into. Always check with your school’s financial aid office for other scholarships, sometimes there are country or school specific ones you may not find online. Good luck!
1. If you are a student at the University of California and are going to be studying through UCEAP, you can apply for the general Promise Award.
- Also available are country specific scholarships that you are automatically considered for if you apply for the promise award (for India and Mexico only).
- There are also a number more scholarships for UCEAP here.
****Look to see if you are eligible.
2. Boren Awards for International Study
3. Ashley Soule Conroy Foundation Scholarship
4. U.S Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program
5. FlipKey Study Abroad Scholarship
6. Fund for Education Abroad
7. Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
- They have both NEED based and MERIT based scholarships/grants.
NOTE: These may require you to be a part of the CIEE program to be eligible.
8. IES Abroad’s Scholarship (specific to the study abroad program)
* Look into your specific program’s possible scholarships as well!
Almost everyone who’s deciding to go abroad for an extended period of time will face some form of fear about it. Of course, everyone’s level of coping with this fear is different. It’s good to first identify what it is you’re afraid of. Is it just the thought of leaving home? The unfamiliarity of the country you’ll be studying in? The possible language barrier you’ll face?
Some people don’t know what it is that they’re afraid of, and that’s okay. You may not even know where your fear is stemming from.
The point of this blog is to try to pinpoint these anxieties and try to offer some solace and some comfort. I faced these anxieties twice, once with the security of a close friend and again all by myself. It was a nerve wracking experience that had me tossing and turning for the two months prior to my departure (especially the second time around!).
My fears ranged from travelling alone, not making any friends, something happening at home, getting sick abroad, getting lost, housing, transportation, getting stared at for being a foreigner… honestly, the list can go on and on.
There were moments before my departure where I just couldn’t handle it anymore and wanted to drop out of the program but I kept telling myself that 1. I’d regret it, 2. It was something I had dreamed about for years and 3. It was something I needed to do (travelling abroad is a major requirement for me). Sometimes my fears felt trivial but I later accepted that it was okay that I felt the way I did.
I didn’t really have anyone to guide me and put me at ease about some of these matters. So I hope to use my experience and fears to help you get through this too.
This is a big decision, and despite being a great opportunity, it drains a lot of people to plan and mentally prepare themselves for it. Having someone to talk to and offer different perspectives of advice is always great. It will take some time to get over these fears, whether they’re big or small and whether they seem irrational to others, they’re valid fears. The truth is, you might not actually overcome some of your fears about this, but if you manage to stick to it until you’re in the country you want to be in, you might find out that maybe you weren’t so afraid of xyz as you thought you were.
I’m open and happy to talk to anyone who may need some advice in something other than what I post.
So if you’re afraid to study abroad, I hope something that I post on this blog can help you push that fear away at least a little bit and give you a little peace of mind.
I’m happy you want to go abroad! I honestly think it creates the most memorable and educating experiences. The fact that you’ve decided that you want to take part in something this great is always step one! From this point on you’ll need to look into different programs and countries you want to study in, and maybe you already have something you want to do in mind. If you have no clue where to start, below are some study abroad programs you can look into:
CIEE
ISA
IIE (This one helps you find different programs that are the best fit for you)
Semester at Sea
IES
AIFS
** There are also the programs that are hosted by your home institution or host institution (the university you want to study at) and these can often be a better choice to these third parties.
I took part in my university’s program, UCEAP, because it worked for me in terms of country, money, and time commitment.
A program that works for one person, may not work for another.
See which one works for you. Do they offer a program in the country I want to study in? Do they have a program during the semester/quarter/year I want to go in? Is the program something I can afford? Do they offer housing (if this is a priority for you)? Does the university the program is hosted at offer classes in my major? Are the courses right/interesting for me? (Think of these questions as something you would put on a flow chart to decide whether a program/country is the best for you).
Speaking from personal experience, it’s best to plan for a study abroad program starting from the year prior. This gives you enough time to not only choose your program and country carefully, it also gives you time to prep for any possible obstacles like finances, personal and family matters, travel documents, or find a back-up program (e.g in case you find a better one). If you’re someone who needs detailed plans for long trips, having a year to do so is ideal. It reduces the amount of stress and anxiety that may build up should you only start planning closer to the application due date. It gives you the time and the opportunity to take a step back and think about everything if the process gets too stressful.
Of course, when you make decisions like this you may also find yourself stressing or panicking about things that may seem minor. I will be addressing some of these fears throughout my blog and you are more than welcome to ask about any other concerns you may have.
I want this to be a space where you feel comfortable asking any questions you may have.
My wish is to use my experiences of studying abroad to help other students decide whether studying abroad is right for them (with the ultimate goal of having them choose that it is!).
I’ve been on a study abroad program twice before, both times to South Korea’s Yonsei University. The reason I went to the same place twice is something I might get into in later posts, since it will be relevant to the topics I discuss.
The main purpose of this blog is to talk about some of the anxieties (posed as “What if” questions) that may come up when deciding whether or not you can push yourself to commit to a study abroad program. I will be doing this using my own experiences, and though my responses may be rather subjective, they may still be relevant to the problems you may be facing. Hopefully my responses can put your mind at ease regarding some of the topics.
If you have your own concerns that I have not addressed, whether it’s about studying abroad in general, studying in South Korea, or the program I was on, feel free to send a message and I’ll try my best to answer it!
